My friend and I are currently applying to teach in SK. The process has been moving fairly quickly, but I'm concerned for his sake; he's got epilepsy. I'm not sure what his medicine is called, but it's expensive. Will this hurt his chances for getting a visa... or a job, for that matter?

My friend and I are currently applying to teach in SK. The process has been moving fairly quickly, but I'm concerned for his sake; he's got epilepsy. I'm not sure what his medicine is called, but it's expensive. Will this hurt his chances for getting a visa... or a job, for that matter?

Any advice/input would be appreciated! Thanks!

If he admits to the condition he will not get a job.

If he lies on the job and visa applications then he may get a job but depending on his meds may have issues (visa fraud) when the facts are discovered later at the mandatory medical exam and drug screening.

Availability of meds may be another issue and the "insurance" that is in your contract may very well not exist after you arrive (especially if you work in a hagwon).

How serious/severe is his epilepsy? Does he have intermittent episodes only when he hasn't taken his medication? Can he go all day at school without being ill? Can he bring enough medication to last him for 12 months? How often does he have a seizure? How many seizures has he had in the last 12 months?

Teachers can/do work here with epilepsy, diabetes and other problems that need daily care. If it won't affect your work then you can get a job here but you need to be selective as to how you answer questions on the visa form. Medication is not always available but is better than many people think. Epilepsy drugs most likely won't show up on the screening - I don't take them but I know teachers who do. Don't tell the school or recruiter, they may be totally okay if you're a good teacher but it's not necessary to bring this to the table.

If your friend were to have a major seizure at school, I think its likely he'd find himself on a plane home pronto. Koreans tend to have little sympathy for conditions that impede normal working capability.

Best luck to your friend, sincerely. I had petit mal events into my early adult years & can relate. If he's confident its totally under control, he should be good to go.

Yes, as schwa said if your friend were to have a big seizure in the school it wouldn't at all be surprising that they would lose all confidence of the students' parents and be asked to leave. A small one, if it wasn't noticed or outside of school, would not ring any alarm bells but Korean parents can be very uptight about their kids' schooling (which actually can be a good thing for us teachers).